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What are the Different Types of Handmade Area Rugs? |

Well-crafted, handmade area rugs have several advantages over the machine-made variety. But not all handmade area rugs are the same. In fact, there are three primary methods of making rugs by hand, and they vary greatly in terms of both quality and price. When you are shopping for just the right rugs in Arizona, be an informed consumer so you get exactly what you need for your home at a fair price.

Hand Knotted Area Rugs

When you hear “hand knotted,” that is no exaggeration. It means that a skilled weaver tied every individual knot that makes up the design of an area rug, so it takes a considerable amount of labor and time to produce a single rug (especially for large area rugs!). There is a spectrum of hand knotted rugs available to the consumer, ranging from low-grade rugs that use low quality materials and dyes with a low knot count, and, on the other side, there are hand knotted rugs that use high quality materials and dyes and have a higher knot count. High quality, hand knotted rugs are essentially the only type that Alyshaan Fine Rugs carries. Why? The high quality variety of these rugs will last longer, be more durable and will maintain their value when taken care of well. You are truly walking on art when you take home a high quality hand-knotted rug!

Tufted-Rug

Hand-Tufted Area Rugs

This type of handmade rug is not as valuable as hand knotted rugs for a few reasons. The first is that it requires less labor to make. Instead of hand tying every knot, hand tufted rugs are made by pulling “V” shaped tufts through warp threads by hand. Alternatively, a tool called a tufting gun shoots the tufts through a plastic grid to create the design you see. How can you tell if a rug has been hand-tufted? Look at the underside — if there is a piece of cloth covering the underside, it is hand-tufted and not hand knotted. The reason it is covered like that is because the construction process creates a rather ugly looking underside, somewhat like the flip side of a cross stitch project. We don’t carry this type of rug, because it is lower quality, cannot be repaired if damaged and won’t last as long. We want our customers to enjoy their area rugs for generations. Flat-Weave Area RugsThese are a different type of rug altogether. While hand knotted or tufted rugs have that traditional rug feel, flat-weave rugs are much thinner, almost like blankets. Used in some cultures as prayer mats, this type of rug is woven together on a loom instead of knotted. They are not very durable if used in high traffic areas, but they can be ideal as accents for homes with high carpets. Alyshaan does not carry this type of rug due to its lower value and low durability.

While looking for rugs in Arizona that will be the perfect accent to your home, hand knotted rugs will provide the best value over the long run. However, it is wise to know the differences between handmade rug types when shopping around for the perfect design.

Image Source: http://shawfloors.com/adx/asp/adxGetMedia.aspx;wa631f5c39c64e4c5b?DocID=2085, http://www.awcarpet.com/momeni-area-rug.jpg

By Allison Edrington

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